Molecular Confinement Effects by Self-Assembled Cages

Size does matter in host-guest chemistry. In the early days, crown ethers and macrocyclic hosts recognized metal ions and small molecules in their cavities. However, due to the size limitation (typically, 1500 ų) was obtained, which demonstrates the ability to completely encapsulate medium-sized molecules (M.W. 1000 - 2000), which are of particular pharmaceutical interest. Protein encapsulation within M12L24 gigantic cages will be also disclosed in this talk.

Speaker: Makoto Fujita, University of Tokyo